


Timing Belt

by niksthename



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Finn Skywalker, M/M, Modern AU, Single Dad Poe, child bb-8, mechanical engineer Poe, parent teacher conferences, teacher!Finn, trans Finn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-03-01 16:48:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13299060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niksthename/pseuds/niksthename
Summary: Poe goes to meet his daughter's teacher for conferences and comes face to face with the most beautiful man he's ever seen.





	Timing Belt

**Author's Note:**

> My beta didn't lay eyes on this one either because I start writing at 3 am for no fucking reason. Got a prompt for parent-teacher conferences and I tried to make it short, I swear! But here we are.

“Daddy come on!!”

“Alright alright, I’m coming sweetheart just slow down. Daddy isn’t exactly young anymore. Besides, don’t we have to wait our turn? I thought these were one-on-one conferences?”

His daughter doesn’t respond, running down the hall way too fast for Poe’s tastes. Lo and behold, she slips trying to take a turn too fast and falls, sliding right into the far wall. Poe has to jog to catch up, but he’s not exactly worried. This is par for the course with Bebe and the little girl is already up with a giggle and running off again.

For just a second, Poe loses sight of her. Again, this is normal, but he’s not sure he’ll ever get over the pang of fear every time she isn’t directly in range. His dad-brain is always running a thousand “what-ifs” and it’s only worse when he can’t see her. It’s fine, though, as it usually is, because he rounds the corner and finds her running zig-zags up and down the hall outside her classroom. There are other parents milling about and little kids sitting bored or playing or running around with Bebe.

“Daddy we’re here! Now we just gotta wait!” As if Bebe could wait for anything ever in her life.

Poe finds an open chair and takes a seat. It’s meant for much smaller humans than him, but he makes do, keeping his eyes on Bebe as he zips around the hall and bounces off the walls. As far as he can tell, there isn’t any particular order. One family walks out and holds the door for another to walk in. He’s in no rush and honestly, it’s best to let Bebe work out some of her energy before they have to sit for 20 minutes talking to her teacher.

Finally, they’re the last ones in the hall and Bebe is just starting to wind down. Not that the average person could tell, but Poe knows his daughter. She’s not running quite so fast, she’s not talking nearly as much, she’s not tripping and falling every few feet. The last people leave and Poe gets the distinct feeling that one of the two mothers is… upset, over something. He’s almost certain he hears “traitor” uttered under her breath but that seems insane, he must be crazy.

He’s taking a second to gear himself up to inevitably hear what a menace his daughter is when the door opens again and someone pokes their head out.

“Oh! Mister Dameron, I wasn’t sure you were coming. Shall we?”

At the man’s voice, Bebe comes screaming down the hall, newly energized all over.

“MISTER SKYWALKER!” she screams, running as fast as her little legs will carry her. “DADDY IT’S MISTER SKYWALKER!”

Poe watches his daughter bolt up the hall to the open door and take a flying leap into the arms of…

...the most beautiful man he’s ever laid eyes on.

Honestly, for a split second, he just stares. Bebe’s teacher has accepted the leaping bundle of excitable child right into his open arms, scooping her up in a big hug.

“Bebe! It’s good to see you, honey! Did you have a fun day off? Didn’t give your daddy too much trouble?”

Poe finally gets with the program and gets to his feet, but he needn’t worry. Her teacher is still taken with her, listening and smiling and nodding along as the little girl talks faster and faster and starts tripping over her words and stuffing in filler sounds. For a solid minute or two, Poe just stands there clutching her little hot wheels backpack watching some strange, handsome man listen to his daughter talk like she’s the only one in the world with anything to say.

“...Mister Dameron?”

“Huh?”

“Are you ready for the conference? I think you two are the last family of the night and we have plenty of time. Didn’t get as many people as I was hoping. I’ll have to send letters home, some parents seem to think conferences are optional.”

He nods, brain catching up to the moment. The man is still holding Bebe, wiggling excitedly in his arms and trying to get his attention so she can talk some more.

“Oh! Right, yeah, we can- sorry, she had ice cream after lunch, I couldn’t say no to that face. She’s just a little wound up now. I’m assuming you’re her teacher then? Mister Skywalker?”

The man nods and starts to head into the classroom, still holding Bebe. “You can call me Finn. I’m still getting used to Mister Skywalker, I sound like my father.”

He settles Bebe at one of the small tables with a bunch of legos. Her attention immediately redirects to this new activity and she falls quiet, trying to force bricks together. There’s a large chair, clearly meant for Poe, next to what he assumes is Finn’s desk. Poe sets Bebe’s bag down and takes a seat.

“Must be new then, if you’re still getting used to it. It’s a good name for an elementary school teacher.”

Finn smiles and clears his throat and Poe can’t help but think he’s missing something. He looks away from his daughter back to her teacher, who looks a touch nervous.

“No, I’ve been teaching for a few years, it’s just a recent change is all.”

“Oh,” Poe says. “Married?” He can’t deny what he hopes the answer will be.

“No,” Finn chuckles awkwardly. “The- the school only just let me switch to mister. Did you not see her parent notes at the beginning of the year?”

“Uh…” The answer to that question is no. Poe got them, for sure, but he never paid that close attention. Sending Bebe to school with cupcakes for her birthday had been Jess’ handiwork, not his own. He was simply too busy and him and Bebe weren’t exactly organized people.

Finn shakes his head with a small laugh. “Never mind, it hardly matters. Let’s talk about Bebe! Just give me a second to find her file-”

As the teacher goes digging, Poe starts trying to wind up excuses for whatever Bebe’s in trouble for this time. He didn’t want to say he expected her to be in trouble, but at eight years old he was already used to the feedback he always got about her. Rambunctious, excitable, a distraction in the classroom… Poe wasn’t sorry for who his daughter was, but he’d already learned that empty apologies satisfied teachers more than his efforts to defend her. In the past, fighting with her teachers had just made her school days harder, so Poe was constantly trying to strike a balance that let Bebe enjoy school and make it to the end of the year on her teacher’s thinning patience. As the first parent-teacher conference of the year, he was gearing up to start at apologetic.

Finn pops up a second later with a thick file in hand, pulled from his desk. Poe sighs internally, used to this by now. When Finn actually opens the file, Poe is caught off guard. It isn’t full of reports of bad behavior, but drawings and collages and pressed leaves and a suspicious amount of dirt.

“What’s this?” he asks, unable to help himself.

“Well I’ll tell you!” Finn is slowly laying things out on his desk so Poe can see it all. Some of the pages, many of them even, look to have leaves and flowers and little bugs taped to them. “I tend to find that sending kids home with their art every day overwhelms parents, so a lot of it gets thrown out. I understand why, of course, but then the kids find out and it makes them feel bad. Instead, we do this project where I collect everything they make, and then at the end of the year we decorate folders and I bind them all together to make a sort of book. Then the students can give those to their parents instead and they’re less likely to get thrown away. It also helps me keep track of their progress through the year. This is Bebe’s file.”

“Oh,” Poe mutters, “that’s… ingenious…” He looks up at Finn, who appears to be… blushing? He can’t quite tell, but the young teacher has that look on his face that says he’s probably blushing.

“It’s nothing, I just wanted to do things a little differently. Anyways, as you can see, Bebe’s been on a creative streak this year. I mean, I don’t have anything to compare it to in the past, but she’s made more this year than just about every other student in her class. Broad subject range, too. She signs everything Bebe-8 though, I’m not really sure why.”

“Oh, that’s- yeah.” Poe clears his throat and smiles crookedly. “We were at the mall last year and she saw one of those charity Christmas trees where you buy foster kids Christmas presents and she saw they had names and ages. She thought that was an amazing idea so now she adds her age to her name so no one forgets how old she is.”

Finn has a very amused expression on his face. “That’s adorable. How long has she been doing that?”

“Since she was Bebe-7.”

“Well in any case, I don’t mind. She does so much good work. I’m assuming you work with cars? She’s been drawing-”

Poe sits there, enraptured as Finn talks him through all of the pictures and projects. There are papers with leaves and pressed flowers, papers with heavily taped soil samples from outside, pictures of him and Jess and Kare and Snap at the office, pictures of engine pieces drawn crudely but nearly recognizable. She really went to town and Poe’s impressed. He’s proud.

“-anyways she seems to draw you a lot more than your wife so I was going to ask-”

“My wife?” Poe comes screaming back into the conversation with the most confused expression he’s maybe ever made. He’s been accused of a lot of things, but having a wife? Never.

“....yeah?” Finn points out what Poe can only assume is Jess in some of the drawings and Poe thinks he sees where the confusion is coming from. Bebe almost always draws all the office folks holding hands and Jess is always the person Poe is drawn holding hands with. “I had assumed she couldn’t make it tonight.”

“I’m not married,” is all Poe can think to say.

“Oh, uh-” Finn seems just as flustered now. “I- my apologies, I’d assumed.”

“Ass you me, right?” he laughs awkwardly, realizing what a horrible thing that was to say to his daughter’s teacher. Even worse when Bebe happily giggles “ASS!” from where she sits. Poe’s attention snaps to his daughter, swinging her feet and grinning wickedly. She knows what she did.

“Uh… right. Uhm. I’m sorry, I’d just- so I guess her mother couldn’t make it tonight?”

“No, uh, she doesn’t- Bebe doesn’t have a mom.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.” Finn gently places a hand over Poe’s and it takes him a second to catch up to the too-gentle tone. His response is a harsh laugh.

“No no! It’s not like that! I just- I reached a point in life where I was ready for a kid so I-”

“She’s adopted? I had no idea, she looks just like you.”

“Come on buddy, lemme get a word in edgewise!” Poe’s tone is playful if not a touch exasperated.

“Right, sorry!” Finn folds his hands together patiently.

He drops his voice and leans in, having not actually had this conversation with Bebe yet. “See, I knew I wasn’t getting married for a while. I have my own company and I put a lot of time into getting it off the ground. Once we hit our fifth year and really started to stabilize, I figured I was ready for a kid more than I was ready to try and find a husband. So I found a surrogate instead! Took a couple tries with the invitro but eventually I got Bebe and she’s everything I ever wanted. It’s just been her and me this whole time.”

“Wow, that’s-” Bebe’s teacher honestly looks floored, though he’s clearly trying to school his expression. “I’m sorry for assuming. I’ve met single mothers with your story but never a single father. So the other people she’s drawing, those must be people you work with?”

“Yeah, Jessika and Kare and Snap. I have other people who work for me, but they all work in the main office with me, they were there when I started the company. Kare and Snap are exceptional mechanics and Jess does a lot of the CAD work they need so they all end up in my office next to the shop. Not that Bebe ever goes into the shop! Gods no, she stays in the office with us but they’re all familiar faces now. Takes a village, right?”

“Takes a village,” Finn repeats absently. He looks like he’s still processing what Poe said, probably has more questions. Poe waits, but Finn never asks.

Instead, the conversation comes back to Bebe and falls back into a natural rhythm. Finn does mention how much energy Bebe has, but he says it’s hardly unusual for little kids and he’d rather encourage it than get mad at her for it, which is why he lets her play outside a lot. He requests a change of clothes for the future just in case and Poe makes it write him down on a stickinote because he knows he’ll never remember otherwise.

They chatter on easily about Bebe, who finally gets bored of the legos and comes over to demand Poe’s attention by bodily climbing into his lap, earning a small laugh from Finn. They talk a little longer before Bebe puts her hands on her daddy’s face with a very serious look.

“Daddy, we have to leave Mister Skywalker alone! It’s been an hour!”

“You can read a clock?”

“Daddyyyyyy!” She chastises him and points at the great big digital clock on Finn’s desk. It’s actually been well over an hour, but Poe guesses Bebe can see the 5 has switched over to a 6 in the hour position.

“Oh I guess you’re right, sweetheart. I’m sorry, you must be getting hungry and gramps is expecting us soon.”

“Gramps!” She bounces enthusiastically, little voice nearly shrieking. Poe, completely forgetting where he is, joins her in making faces and vocalizing. It’s an old habit of their, when she was little she would make faces while he tried to feed her and he would match them just to distract her enough to get food in her mouth. Now it just makes her giggle, but that alone is worth it. She gets a good laugh out of it now and then puts her hands over Poe’s open mouth. “Daddy! Mister Skywalker is gonna think we’re silly!”

Poe looks at Finn, feeling absolutely foolish now. But Finn spends his days around kids, so he must get it, right? In any case, Finn doesn’t show any acknowledgment of Poe’s weirdness with his daughter, instead leaning over to tickle Bebe, who shrieks and tries to wiggle out of Poe’s lap.

“I already think that, lovebug! You’re the silliest little girl I ever met! But she’s right,” Finn's attention redirects to Poe. “I have to be out of here by 6:30 for lockup, we should go.”

“Right, right, uh, Bebe grab your backpack honey. I’m not carrying it for you again.”

She looks absolutely put out by this, but she grabs it anyways and puts it on… upside down. Finn chuckles and crouches next to her.

“Here honey, lemme help you with that.” They’re both very good natured about it, Poe just standing and watching in awe.

Finally, they’re on their way out, Finn stopping to grab his jacket and his bag. Bebe is already darting down the hall and Poe rushes out a quick “lovely to meet you!” before chasing after her. He’s a lot more stern when she hits the parking lot because Poe does have rules and not running through parking lots is definitely one of them. There are only a handful of cars left but Poe still takes her hands and walks them to his little sedan, helping her get buckled into her car seat (which takes time because she’s so wiggly).

Poe makes it into the driver’s seat and gets ready to take off when he hears an engine stall. He sighs internally and looks around. He could leave it, no one here knows he’s an auto engineer, they could just get out of there and he might eek out a good excuse as to why they’re late to meet his father for dinner. But the engine stalls again it’s getting dark and it’s cold out and he can’t bring himself to abandon whatever poor soul is probably convinced they need a whole new car right about now.

“Bebe honey, daddy’s gonna go see if someone needs help.”

“Okay daddy! Is it a spark? Sparky thing?” He grins as he unbuckles his seatbelt.

“No honey, it’s not a spark plug. Sounds like the timing belt. You remember where that is?”

“Yeah! Can I come see, daddy?”

He’s tempted to say no, but she’s excited and Bebe being excited about his work is a weakness of his, so he relents and lets her unbuckle herself as he looks around the parking lot. He hears the sound again and pinpoints a beat-up looking Subaru a few spots down from them and heads over, Bebe hot on his tail. Of course, a few steps away he sees who it is. Finn steps out of the car with an exasperated, panicked look.

“Car troubles?” Poe asks, smooth as he can manage.

“Yeah, I don’t- it was a struggle to get it started this morning and I just figured it was cold. I don’t know what’s wrong with it now. Do you- Bebe said you work with cars, can you help?”

“Sure, let’s have a look. Pop the hood for me? Bebe, where do we look for the timing belt?” Finn’s already disappearing back into the car to look for the hood release. Given how long it takes him, Poe suspects he’s never actually looked at his own engine compartment before. He rounds to the hood of the car while Bebe makes ‘I’m thinking’ noises.

“Oh!” she chirps, “To the left?”

“Left of what, sweetheart?” Poe’s already propping the hood up.

“The engine!”

“Good girl. Come on, let’s take a look.” He can already see the problem, but it’s a learning opportunity. Bebe steps onto the concrete parking berm and leans her little hands on the bumper, peering inside the engine compartment. Poe notices Finn stepping up behind her, peeking inside just as curiously.

“There!” She points at what Poe’s already seen. There’s not even a belt left, he suspects it’s snapped clean off. There’s no way to start the car to limp it somewhere, Finn’ll need a tow.

“Very good, honey!” Poe points it out to Finn. “Your timing belt broke. You’ll need a tow to a shop to get it fixed, but a good place will already have the part, shouldn’t take more than a couple hours. I don’t know anywhere open right now though, you’ll have to do it tomorrow. Most shops will tow to their lot a least, you can get a taxi home.”

Or… Poe looks at Bebe, who is still staring at where the timing belt should be, and then at Finn, who’s looking increasingly panicked.

“...or,” he says, Finn’s attention snapping back to him, “I could give you a ride home and we can come pick it up in the morning. My shop doesn’t do repairs, we build cars, but I’m sure I have the right belt hanging around somewhere and it would be no trouble at all. I could even do it here, no need to tow at all.”

“Really?” Finn looks absolutely relieved by this offer. “Are you sure? I don’t want to make you guys late to… your father’s place, I’m guessing?”

“Yeah, my dad’s making us dinner. Uh… I mean, you could come with. He always makes too much anyway. Is that okay? Are you- are you allowed to do that?”

“Yeah, uh- just because it’s a private school, mostly, and we have small classroom sizes. Wouldn’t be the first time, it’s alright. Dinner would be great, my plans started and stopped with leftover pizza. Reheating optional.”

“Oh, well perfect! Let’s get going then, we can come back for this tomorrow. I’ll just call dad on the way and let him know to set an extra place setting.”

“You- I can call, if you need?” Poe can see the judgment in Finn’s expression.

“Oh no, it’s not like that! I- my car has the hands-free calling. I would never- I never use my phone and drive. Precious cargo and all. C’mon Bebe, Mister Skywalker is coming with us to dinner!”

Bebe screeches and bounces away from the car, hugging her teacher excitedly. “YOU’RE GONNA LOVE IT MISTER SKYWALKER! GRAMPS MAKES THE BEST FOOD, THE BEST!! COME ON LET’S GO!”

She’s already dragging Finn toward the car. He reaches to snag his bag while Poe puts the hood back, then lets Bebe drag him back to Poe’s car. He seems nervous but he’s putting on a good face for the little girl. Poe follows a step behind, watching them with a bright smile and feeling a little pang in his chest as he does so.

They all climb into the car and Poe calls his dad on the way. Finn being in the car is probably the only thing that saves him from Kes’ disappointment at not calling sooner. It’s a short jaunt ten minutes away to Kes’ house and soon they’re pulling up in the driveway of a small house, the most colorful on the block because Kes doesn’t give a shit what the HOA has to say about what colors you’re allowed to paint your exterior.

Bebe doesn’t even knock, she just bolts right in and leaves the door wide open for Finn and Poe to mosey on in after her. Kes comes to greet them and finds himself with an armful of Bebe, laughing and peppering kisses all over her face.

“Gramps!”

“Bebe, my sweet granddaughter! How did it go? Not too much trouble are you?”

“No, Mister Skywalker LOVES me,” she says, prideful as ever.

“Speaking of, dad this is Finn, Bebe’s teacher. His timing belt broke so we’re giving him a ride home after this.”

Kes puts Bebe down and comes over. Finn has his hand out to shake but Kes blows right past it and fully hugs the young man, leaving Poe to try and suppress a snicker. Finn doesn’t look phased, though, which Poe finds admirable.

“So you’re the one Bebe talks so much about. You should switch grades next year, she really loves you. Finding a good teacher for her has been a challenge.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Finn says, tone good-natured and easy, “she’s a joy to have in class. Maybe she’s high energy but she helps her classmates out all the time and that’s invaluable. Must have picked it up somewhere.” He gives Poe a knowing look, bringing a bright flush to Poe’s cheeks.

“Anyways,” he tries to redirect the conversation. “What’s for dinner, dad? New York Times or James Beard?”

“Oh I felt like cracking out James Beard today. Haven’t used the pot roast recipe in a while. Come come, it’s all ready we should eat it before it gets cold. You can leave your jackets by the door. Shoes off, too.” Of course Poe already knows this, but Finn doesn’t and Bebe could use the reminder. As they toe off their shoes, Poe calls down the hall.

“Bebe! Come here sweetheart, let’s get your coat and boots off!”

She comes rip-roaring down the hall and quickly peels off her fluffy jacket and wading boots, leaving them in a mess on the floor. Poe takes a second to tidy up after her, willing to let it slide tonight. He leads Finn to the kitchen and they settle in for dinner.

Once again, the conversation flows easily. Kes gets Finn talking about himself, and while he seems hesitant at first, he eventually opens up. Poe sits and listens, enamored as Finn talks about his childhood in foster care, about finding his dad only when he was almost through college and what a shock it had been to know he’d had a father at all.

“Oh, so that’s why the new name?”

“Huh?” Finn and Poe are giving each other equally confused looks.

“You said- you said Mister Skywalker was a new name I thought?”

“Oh.” Finn looks distinctly uncomfortable and Poe is trying desperately to figure out what he did wrong. “No, that’s- I said the Mister was a new addition. The school only just let me change it.”

Poe tilts his head, trying and failing to catch on. “Why would-”

“So, Finn, ever thought about kids of your own?” Kes cuts off Poe and he honestly doesn’t get why, but he lets it go.

“Uh,” he clears his throat and Poe frowns a little when his eyes glance away, “I’ve thought about adopting but I’m nowhere near ready I don’t think.”

“Never wanted kids of your own?” Poe asks. Kes and Finn both level a very pointed look at him.

“I mean, yeah, but…”

“But what? You could do what I did with Bebe.” There’s a growing awkwardness in the room that Poe can kind of sense but doesn’t understand. They all look at each other while Bebe makes a mess of her plate, happy as a clam.

“Finn, why not come help me scoop ice cream?” Bebe absolutely perks up at these words. Poe glares daggers at Kes.

“Dad! Dinner isn’t even done and Bebe’s already had i-c-e-c-r-e-a-m today, she doesn’t need a second helping.”

“Little girls get spoiled at grandpa’s house! It’s just for tonight anyway. Finn?”

“Yes, absolutely I’ll help.” He looks relieved as he sets his napkin aside and disappears back into the kitchen with Kes. Poe sits in silence and finishes up his dinner before reaching over to help Bebe with hers. She’s been pushing her food around, trying to make it look like she ate more than she did. Luckily, Poe’s wise to her ways.

A few minutes later and Finn and Kes come back with ice cream for everyone. Finn immediately sets in on a whole other conversation, talking about art school. Poe learns he trained in art first and became a teacher after discovering how much he loved working with kids. Still, he makes an effort to make art at home and fold it into the curriculum whenever he can’t.

Eventually, they’re finished with the ice cream and the night is winding down. Bebe is slouching in her seat, finally looking tired as the day catches up with her. Poe stands and starts to clean up the dishes, stacking plates and silverware.

“I think we better get Bebe home, it’s coming up on her bedtime.” Cue a sad whine from Bebe, even though she’s too tired to properly protest.

“Why not let her stay the night, eh? It’s a Saturday tomorrow, she can sleep in and you can help Finn with his car without having to worry about her.”

It’s… a tempting offer. And Bebe has perked up, looking excitedly from Poe to Kes and back again. He should get her home because he knows Kes will let her stay up, but…

“...alright. Sleepover with gramps, but just tonight! I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon I think. You’ll behave for gramps, right Bebe?”

She nods enthusiastically and gets up to hug Poe, wrapping her little arms around his leg.

“Yes yes, go off and get some PJs on okay? Grandpa will read you a bedtime story and put you to bed, won’t you gramps?” Kes makes a little criss-cross over his heart but Poe barely believes it. Bebe bolts off with a happy giggle and Poe carries the dishes into the kitchen, Finn on his tail with cups and bowls.

Poe starts to work on the dishes, but Kes waves him off. “Nonsense, it’s getting late. Get this young man home.”

Finn pipes up then. “Yeah, I hate to say it but I live half an hour away and there might be construction on the way. We should get going.”

“Alright alright. Let’s get going then. Thanks for dinner, dad. It was delicious as usual.”

They all hug goodbye, Poe impressed once again by Finn who kneels to hug Bebe goodbye. A few minutes later and they’re driving in comfortable silence, Poe suddenly acutely aware of how attracted he is to Finn and how much he shouldn’t be.

It actually gets a little awkward, the silence. Poe turns up the radio but that helps nothing. Suddenly, out of the blue, Finn pipes up.

“You really can’t tell?”

“Huh?” Poe sneaks a quick glance at Finn, who has the most dazzling smile on his face.

“You really can’t tell. Well that’s a hell of an ego boost.” He chuckles and it becomes a full laugh, but Poe absolutely is not in on the joke.

“I don’t get it? What am I missing? Jess tells me all the time I’m an idiot but I thought she was just messing with me.”

“You’re not an idiot, Poe. You’re just- you don’t read the letters home, do you?”

“Uh…” He could lie through his teeth, but he’s sure Finn would know. “To be honest, I try but usually Kare and Snap do it. If Bebe needs anything they write me stickinotes.”

“So that’s why you never noticed. At the beginning of the year, I had to sign all notes home with Miss Skywalker. The school only just let me switch to Mister when I got my legal name changed.”

Oh. OH. _OH._

Poe sits in silence for a moment, turning it over in his mind. He feels like an idiot, now that he remembers their conversation over dinner.

“And I said- about having kids-”

“You sure did.” Finn snickers.

“Oh my stars I am so sorry Finn! I had no idea I can’t believe-”

“Don’t be sorry!” Finn puts a hand on his arm. “Don’t be sorry! It’s a compliment, especially after some of the parents I met today.”

Poe remembers the two women leaving with their daughter right before him, muttering under their breaths. His knuckles tighten on the wheel, anger blooming in his chest at the idea that anyone could be so disrespectful to Finn.

“You don’t deserve that. You’re the best teacher Bebe has ever had and I can’t- I don’t know how to thank you. She’s had such a good year so far and you didn’t- she gets in trouble every year! I don’t think it’s bad but she always gets in trouble, except this year with you. Anyone who treats you poorly because of that shouldn’t be raising kids.” He thinks of the two women, considers keeping an eye out for them at the next PTA meeting. “Even in our own community,” he mutters, still furious.

“It’s alright, Poe. I’m used to it and the kids are worth it. The best I can do is try to teach them better while I have them.”

“You shouldn’t have to. That’s not your job.”

“It’s not my job to teach?” He can hear the amusement in Finn’s voice, it helps quell his frustration somewhat.

“You know what I mean,” he grumbles.

“I do, and I appreciate it. I wish every parent were like you. You’re a good dad, Bebe talks only good things about you.”

Well at least that makes him smile.

They manage to move the conversation on again and Poe steadily relaxes. Finn starts giving him directs and they’re pulling up outside his apartment far too soon, the night finally drawing to an end. Poe can’t help but wonder if it’s maybe all been a dream, but he steps out of the car to escort Finn to the door anyway. Might as well make it a good dream, right?

“Thanks for coming to my rescue tonight.”

“Don’t thank me yet, we still gotta fix your car in the morning.”

Finn smiles and he has a knowing look on his face but Poe has no clue why. All he can do is smile back, a little too happy.

“Well anyways. Thanks for dinner, too. It was a delight, your father is such a kind man. What time in the morning?”

“Oh, uh… gosh I don’t know. Say 9? I can be here by 9.”

“It’s a Saturday, Poe.”

“Alright alright. Ten and a late lunch after we get your car up and running again?” Oops.

That grin is back and Poe easily wants to see it as often as he humanly can.

“Ten and a late lunch, sounds like a plan. Goodnight, Poe.”

He watches, a bit helpless as Finn unlocks the door and steps inside.

“Goodnight, Finn.”

It’s a lonely drive home.

\-------~ _Two Years Later_ ~-------

“-and in any case, I hardly think it’s Bebe’s fault if you make your students sit at a desk all day with no activities outside recess break.”

Bebe’s teacher is sitting there looking a bit like a hurricane has come over him. Poe’s doing everything in his power not to make soft googly eyes at his husband’s passionate dressing down of the man, who not a moment before had said Bebe’s restlessness had been a disruption to class.

“Well, I- I mean-”

“You mean you don’t know how to control your classroom outside forcing all your students to sit quietly despite children needing at least two hours of activity a day.”

“I would assume they would get that at home.”

“Oh, so we’re to assume crucial parts of child education are done at home? Why send them to school at all then! Ass you me, I suppose.”

Poe very nearly snickers, appreciating the callback to when they first met.

The teacher looks appropriately ashamed and hangs their head, closing Bebe’s file.

“...I’ll make a more concerted effort to meet your daughter’s needs.”

“Much appreciated,” Finn chirps, switching too easily to a pleasant demeanor. “About time we were going anyhow, I’m sure you’ve got plenty of other parents to explain yourself to.”

“Can we at least concede she can’t keep signing things Bebe-10 anymore?”

All it takes is a look from Poe for the teacher to shut up and sit back in his seat, defeated.

Finn pushes back his chair and Poe stands, holding out a hand for Finn to take. He gets to his feet with only a little bit of a struggle, still getting used to his changing body. There’s just the beginnings of a waddle in his gait as he makes his way to the door, which Poe opens for him. Out in the hall, he slips his arm around Finn’s waist and walks slowly with him.

“That was very attractive, you know.”

“Poe, we’re not even out to the car yet!” But there’s a telltale smile on Finn’s face and Poe knows he’s already won.

“You know, Snap has Bebe until tonight if you wanna go home for a bit…”

“Poe!” Finn swats at him playfully, trying to contain his smirk.

They get out to the car and Poe makes like he’s going to open the car door for Finn, only to snag him up in his arms and press a happy kiss to his lips. Finn goes with it, arms wrapping around his shoulders as he leans against the car door.

“You sure you don’t want to run home first? Take a rest?”

“You have a funny definition of rest, Dameron.”

“Wait a minute, who took whose name again? Besides, I can make it nice and relaxing for you.” He sneaks another kiss.

“Yeah, only because I made you practice.”

“Practice makes perfect! I didn’t see you complaining.”

“Alright alright, we can go home for a bit, but we promised Snap we’d be back by 5 to get dinner. If you let me nap, don’t let me oversleep.”

Poe pouts at him. “But you’re so cute when you sleep! How could I possibly wake my lovely husband from his beauty sleep?”

“It stopped being beauty sleep after I got pregnant. Now it’s just a much-needed nap.”

“All the more reason to not wake you!”

Finn laughs and steals another kiss from Poe before finally giving him a gentle push away.

“Come on then, let’s get home.”


End file.
